Five developments worth watching that are up for debate tonight
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It’s the third Monday of the month, which means it’s time again for the Charlotte City Council to take a look at development plans and give the more-or-less final go-ahead on them. It’s the last step in a process that includes filing site plans, going back and forth with planning staff, holding community meetings and appearing before a committee.
These projects have generally already had their public hearing and are due for a final decision tonight.
(1) The VanLandingham Estate
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Area of town: Plaza Midwood
What it is: The owners of this boutique hotel want to add a spa, 19 townhomes and a neighborhood pool/swim club.
What are the chances?: The city’s planning staff aren’t crazy about the swim club, but otherwise are in favor. The zoning committee went for it unanimously. People who live nearby have been concerned about traffic on Belvedere Avenue and other effects. The VanLandingham owners (including a former City Council member) want this badly enough that they’ve committed to all sorts of concessions: They won’t open the pool until afternoon on Sundays, they’ll cap membership at 420, they won’t host swim meets against other clubs and they’ll have to make sure not to host events at the hotel and swim club at the same time. They’ll also have to lease at least 41 off-site parking spaces.
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(2) Circle K –> Grocery store
Area of town: Providence and Fairview
What it is: This would redevelop the northwest corner of the intersection (where the Carmel on Providence apartment community is) into a mixed-use development anchored by a grocery store and 195 apartment homes.
What are the chances?: This is essentially taking an aging apartment complex and gas station making it into something bigger and newer, so I don’t imagine it will have much trouble. But this is just one of several big projects at the same busy intersection, there is a serious concern about what all the construction will do to traffic. I used to live right next door to here so I feel pretty qualified to say that it will be a huge mess. I’ll miss the Circle K there, too. I used to buy Coors Light there quite a bit.
(3) Topgolf
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Area of town: Whitehall Corporate Center (at I-485 and South Tryon)
What it is: Formally, they want to bring a “golf-related outdoor entertainment” center and eating/drinking facility. In reality, the plans are for a driving range with three levels of covered tee boxes plus a huge entertainment area.
What are the chances?: I would be shocked if there was an issue here. Whitehall wants to compete with Ballantyne and this will be an interesting draw.
(4) Self-storage by Ardrey Kell High
Area of town: South Charlotte
What it is: Developers want to put a self-storage facility right by Ardrey Kell High, in what is currently zoned to be a residential area.
What are the chances?: This one is kind of controversial. This is a booming area of town, and heavily residential. This could set some precedent as far as what commercial uses are allowed here. But the city says you can’t really put homes here so it will probably go through. At least the self-storage will be climate-controlled.
(5) Crescent development
Area of town: Providence and I-485
What it is: Plans call for 30,000 square feet of retail plus a 180-room hotel, 425 apartments and 118 homes.
What are the chances?: This intersection is another hotbed of development, but this is just a small piece of that.